US 'would not walk away from the Middle East,' Joe Biden tells GCC+3

The US president also said he would not allow China, Russia or Iran to fill a vacuum in the region

US President Joe Biden attends the GCC+3 summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Reuters

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman speaks during the Jeddah Security and Development Summit. AFP

Mr Biden takes notes while an usher serves coffee during the Jeddah Security and Development Summit. AFP

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi attends the Jeddah Security and Development Summit. AFP

Jordan's King Abdullah II attends the Jeddah Security and Development Summit. AFP

Mr Biden speaks during the GCC+3 meeting. AFP

Leaders and representatives of the Gulf Co-operation Council countries, as well as the US, Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan, attend the Jeddah Security and Development Summit. AFP

From left: Asa'ad bin Tariq Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister of Oman and Special Representative of the Sultan, the UAE's President, Sheikh Mohamed, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, Bahrain's King Hamad, US President Joe Biden, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman; Jordan's King Abdullah II, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Kuwait's Crown Prince Mishal Al Sabah, and Iraq's Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi, during the Jeddah Security and Development Summit. Photo: Jordanian Royal Palace / AFP

US President Joe Biden and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrive for the family photo. AP

Crown Prince Mohammed receives Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar. SPA

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman receives Jordan's King Abdullah II. SPA

Bahrain's King Hamad is welcomed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in Jeddah. SPA

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed receives Asa'ad bin Tariq, Deputy Prime Minister and Special Representative of the Sultan of Oman, in Jeddah. SPA

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman receives Sheikh Mishal Al Sabah, Crown Prince of Kuwait, before the Jeddah Security and Development Summit on Saturday. SPA

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi speaks with Crown Prince Mohammed after arriving for the summit. SPA

US President Joe Biden is received by Prince Khalid Al Faisal Al Saud, Governor of Makkah, in Jeddah. Photo: Media Office of the Governor of Mecca

Crown Prince Mohammed receives Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad. SPA

Iraq's Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi with Crown Prince Mohammed. AFP

Read the latest updates on Joe Biden's regional tour here

The US "would not walk away" from the region, President Joe Biden told Middle Eastern leaders at a summit in Jeddah as he admitted to not always getting things right.

The gathering of leaders of the GCC, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq in Jeddah came on the final day of Mr Biden's first tour of the region since taking office.

"No country gets it right all the time, even most of the time, including the United States. But our people are our strength. Our countries with the confidence to learn from the mistakes grow stronger," Mr Biden said.

"So let me conclude by summing all this up in one sentence ― the United States is invested in building a positive future in the region, in partnership with all of you, and the United States is not going anywhere."

Mr Biden was eager to see Saudi Arabia and its Opec partners pump more oil to help bring down the high cost of gasoline and ease the highest US inflation in four decades.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said that Saudi Arabia would increase production to 13 million barrels a day from the current limit of 12 million barrels a day by 2027 but said that "after that, the kingdom will not have any more capability to increase production".

He also warned against chasing "unrealistic" energy policies as he called for greater investment in renewable sources as well as oil extraction.

"Adopting unrealistic policies to reduce emissions by excluding main sources of energy will lead in coming years to unprecedented inflation and an increase in energy prices, and rising unemployment and a worsening of serious social and security problems," Prince Mohammed said.

Crown Prince Mohammed also said the historic meeting of regional leaders and the US president came at a challenging time for the world, adding that he hoped "a new era of consolidation" would emerge among the nations at the summit.

Mr Biden looked to assure regional leaders that the US would remain committed to the Middle East.

"The United States is doing to remain an engaged partner in the Middle East. We will not walk away and leave a vacuum filled by China, Russia or Iran," Mr Biden said.

As well as Mr Biden and Crown Prince Mohammed, President Sheikh Mohamed, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim, Kuwait's Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal, Bahrain's Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad, Oman's Sultan Haitham and Yemen's president Rashad Al Alimi all attended the summit.

The threat of Iran also featured heavily in the conversations in the region, especially in the Gulf where they are worried about boosting capability given Tehran's advanced ballistic missile and armed drone capability.

Franklin D Roosevelt, US president at the time, meets King Abdulaziz on board the 'USS Quincy' in the Suez Canal on February 14, 1945. Photo: Saudi Press Agency

Richard Nixon, US president at the time, visits Saudi Arabia in 1974. Photo: Saudi Press Agency

Mr Nixon meets King Faisal in 1974. Photo: Saudi Press Agency

George HW Bush, US president at the time, is greeted by King Fahd as he arrives in Saudi Arabia on November 21, 1990. AP

George W Bush, US president at the time, meets King Abdullah in 2008. Photo: Saudi Press Agency

King Abdullah meets former US president Bill Clinton in Riyadh on April 7, 2010. Saudi Press Agency / AFP

King Salman shakes hands with Barack Obama, US president at the time, at Erga Palace in Riyadh on January 27, 2015. AFP

Donald Trump, US president at the time, meets Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2017. Photo: Saudi Press Agency

Mr Trump meets King Salman in 2017. Photo: Saudi Press Agency

In his first trip to the region since he took office in January 2021, Mr Biden urged leaders to build a framework that included Israel to ensure GCC countries could defend themselves "adequately" with an integrated air defence force. The push would be a tough sell to states without ties with Israel.

"We believe there's great value in including as many of the capabilities in this region as possible and certainly Israel has significant air and missile defence capabilities, as they need to. But we're having these discussion bilaterally with these nations," a senior administration official told reporters.

As well as being the first US president to fly directly from Israel to Saudi Arabia, Mr Biden urged greater integration following the Abraham Accords that saw the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan establish ties with Israel.

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Friday that the president would also "lay out clearly" his vision and strategy for America's engagement in the Middle East when he met on the sidelines with regional leaders.

When they met, Mr Biden also invited President Sheikh Mohamed to visit the US.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates (2nd R) meets with Joe Biden, President of the United States (R), during the Jeddah Security and Development Summit. Photo by Abdulla Al Neyadi for the Abu Dhabi Presidential Court

“We both understand that the challenges we face today only make it a heck a lot more important that we spend more time together. I want to formally invite you to the States before this year’s out,” Mr Biden told Sheikh Mohamed.

In his meeting with Mr Biden, Mr El Sisi discussed food security and disruptions to energy supplies, the Egyptian presidency said.